4 sessions, 10 total hours
$500 per person
Beginner to Advanced

Multiple sessions both in-person and remote

Online classes - Wednesday, October 14th and Wednesday, October 21st, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

In-the-field classes (Seattle area) - Saturday, October 17th and Saturday, October 24th, 7:00am - 10:00am

In this course you will

• Learn and practice effective and unique ways of studying and memorizing bird vocalizations that are applicable to all birds around the world

• Increase your bird vocalization identification skills for regional bird songs and calls of the Pacific Northwest

• Gain experience in the field using these skills along with a cohort of peers (Union Bay Natural Area and Discovery Park, Seattle)

• Learn how to properly record high quality bird audio in the field using a smartphone or external microphone

• Go through a step-by-step, synchronous process with the instructor to edit the audio on your computer — no expensive equipment or prior experience in recording needed!

Why did we create this course?

• Birds are singing and calling everywhere, every day. The ability to identify those birds just by sound is tremendously fun, rewarding, and leads to a greater appreciation and understanding of the nature around us. It also greatly improves birders’ ability to locate birds in the field.

• Birding by ear is difficult for many birders, and we have found that traditional mnemonics to learn bird songs aren’t very effective for many people. Joe is a music teacher and curriculum designer of nine years with a masters degree in music education, and has developed a number of methods to better understand, study, and memorize bird vocalizations.

• Learning the basics of recording and producing bird audio, using readily available equipment, will help tremendously with bird identification skills. This course is a unique opportunity to practice these skills in the field in a structured way.

• Becoming better at birding by ear and recording audio samples is a great way to contribute to community science, conservation, and data collection efforts.

Who is this course for?

• Any birder who wants to increase their bird vocalization knowledge and birding by ear skills! Beginning birders to advanced birders will benefit from the knowledge and experience in this course.

• No experience with recording or producing audio needed

Only 8 Spots Available for this session